Antivirus Tools Fail: Blocking Success Varies By 58%

mjnc · Oct 25, 2012

Antivirus Tool Fail: Blocking Success Varies By 58%

Only two of 13 endpoint security software scanners blocked more than 80% of known exploits, NSS Labs study reports.

That finding comes via a new report from independent testing firm NSS Labs, which studied the effectiveness of leading
Windows endpoint--often referred to as antivirus--security suites.
Click to expand...

Many Security Products Fail Exploit Blocking Test

In the IE6 test, McAfee successfully blocked every single exploit. Norton and Kaspersky came close, with 96.4 percent and
92.9 percent respectively.

Others didn't do nearly as well. Microsoft Security Essentials blocked just 42.9 percent, while F-Secure and Panda came in
under 30 percent.

Few consumers are still using IE6, so the main test using exploits on modern browsers and applications is more significant.
Kaspersky dominated this test with 92.2 percent of exploits blocked. Next up was avast!, with 81.9 percent, ....

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NSS Labs advises all users to enable automatic updating of the operating system and to keep other applications updated as
well by using the free Secunia Personal Software Inspector 3.0 to ensure that the system has all critical security patches
installed.

The Java programming language was once touted as a "Write Once, Run Anywhere" solution. For malicious hackers, it's now
more like "Write Once, Attack Anywhere." Java is a prime tool in many exploits. NSS Labs recommends disabling or completely
removing Java unless you need it for a specific reason.
Click to expand...

DavidGP · Oct 26, 2012

Well in part goes to show Corps need to update to later versions of Windows and take advantage of new IE versions or jump to Firefox as their browser, but then are they really securing their main systems against malware as the browser is not the only entry point to malware, the server software itself can be!

I know we are so behind the times on software its painfully laughable to me.... but the IT dept. is not up to date on newer Windows variants to be affective, and they install crap weird apps they think help when they do not, apart from adding vulnerabilities to the network.

Secunia PSI is a great app (I have it installed myself and install it on any build I do for friends etc) but I feel its still not going to help if you have too old an OS and that's what this article misses IMHO.

You have to adapt your OS and maybe migrate to different apps to add security to your network, and leave IE6 if that's the only Browser you can install because you have not updated.

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Antivirus Tools Fail: Blocking Success Varies By 58%

mjnc MajorGeek

DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member